Color Development and Matching
Color is where "close enough" costs the most, because a slightly-off corporate color reads as a mistake to everyone who sees the uniform, not just the buyer who specified it. Getting it right is less about the manufacturer's skill than about how the color is specified in the first place. A color given as a Pantone reference can be matched; a color given as "our brand blue" cannot, because there's nothing objective to match against.
Why screen and verbal color fail
The same digital color displays differently on different monitors, so a screenshot or a color pulled from a website is an unreliable target. Verbal description is worse, "navy," "burgundy," "forest green" each cover a wide range of actual shades. Neither gives a factory a fixed reference, which means the result is a guess, and a guess that only reveals itself once the bulk order is dyed.
Pantone references: TCX vs TPX
Pantone is the standard system for specifying an exact color independent of screen or printer. Two codes matter for garments. TPX is Pantone's paper-based reference. TCX is the cotton-based (textile) reference, and it's the more reliable target for matching an actual fabric color, since it accounts for how a textile surface takes and reflects color differently from paper. When specifying uniform color, a TCX reference gives a dye house a more accurate target than a paper-based code.
Lab dips and strike-offs
A lab dip is a small swatch of the actual fabric dyed to the target color, produced and approved before bulk dyeing. It confirms the match on the real material rather than on a reference card, and it's a standard step for a first order or a new color. A strike-off is the equivalent for a printed design, a test print of the artwork before bulk, confirming color and detail on the actual fabric.
Both exist for the same reason as a pre-production sample: to confirm the result while it's still a swatch, not a full run. TB Uniform's verified process uses Pantone-based color development, so a Pantone reference is the natural starting point for that lab dip approval.
Fabric affects color
The same Pantone reference reads slightly differently across fiber blends and fabric weights, because fiber content affects how dye takes. This is why a lab dip on the actual fabric being used, not a generic swatch, and not the reference card alone, is what confirms the final shade. If a program spans multiple fabric types in the same color, each fabric may need its own lab dip against the same reference. See Choosing Uniform Fabric for how blend and weight interact with the rest of the spec.
Keeping color consistent across reorders
A documented Pantone reference is what keeps the navy of a first order from drifting into a slightly different navy on the next one. Record the exact reference used and the approved lab dip, and cite both on any reorder rather than relying on "match the last order." See Reordering and Managing a Uniform Program.
FAQ
Do I need a Pantone reference, or can I send my logo file? A logo file gives the manufacturer the artwork, but not a reliable color target, since on-screen color varies by display. A Pantone reference (ideally TCX for fabric) is what pins the exact shade. If you only have a brand guideline with a Pantone code in it, that code is what to send.
What's the difference between a lab dip and a strike-off? A lab dip is a dyed fabric swatch, confirming a solid color on the actual material before bulk dyeing. A strike-off is a test print of a design, confirming a printed artwork's color and detail before bulk printing. Same purpose, different decoration method.
Why does my color look different on two different garments in the same order? Most often because the two garments use different fabrics, and the same reference takes differently on different fiber blends or weights. This is expected, and it's why each fabric type ideally gets its own lab dip against the shared reference rather than assuming one approval covers all fabrics.
Can the manufacturer match a color from a physical sample I provide? Usually yes, a physical fabric swatch is a more reliable target than a screen color, and a dye house can work toward matching it, then confirm with a lab dip. Providing an existing garment or swatch you want matched is a valid alternative to a Pantone code, though a Pantone reference remains easier to document for future reorders.
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